Hammer Horror: Man Handed Hospital Order After Brutal Attack on Two Women
A chilling, unprovoked hammer attack has ended with Joe Xuereb, 28, locked away under a hospital order. The Eltham man appeared at the Old Bailey on 11 July and pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon.
Shock Attack on Mother and Daughter
On 19 August 2018, just after midday, Xuereb targeted a 64-year-old woman and her 30-year-old daughter outside their flats on Adderley Gardens, Eltham. He crept up behind them, swinging a hammer and striking them repeatedly in the head and face.
The savage assault left both women unconscious on the street. Yet Xuereb didn’t stop there — he kept pounding their heads before fleeing the scene.
Life-Changing Injuries and Swift Arrest
Emergency crews rushed the victims to hospital, where they remained for weeks in critical condition, suffering life-changing injuries.
Thanks to a quick public tip-off, police nabbed Xuereb in Bexley just hours later at 7.36pm, charging him with attempted murder and weapon possession.
Justice and Darkness Behind Bars
Judge Richard Marks handed down an indefinite hospital order under the Mental Health Act. “If it weren’t for his psychiatric illness, a life sentence would have been inevitable,” the judge stated.
“This was a brutal and unprovoked attack which both victims are incredibly lucky to have survived,” said Detective Sergeant Matt Deans from the Homicide and Major Crime Command. “This horrific incident has had a significant impact on both of their lives and we hope this conviction will bring them some kind of closure.”
